Coffee Houses and Swinging on Lampposts
by ivorykeys09
Summary: Dan/Blair. Season 3. Prompt: "Lots of banter and sexual tension with a super satisfying, optimistic ending."


**A/N: This was written for the Dair Fic Exchange on Livejournal. My prompt was: ****"Lots of banter and sexual tension with a super satisfying, optimistic ending."**

***Important Note:** **Takes place in Season 3 sometime...not AU, but not completely canon.**

**Thanks to my lovely beta...Spiros. And Sara! As always, thanks to Sara.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GG or any of its characters.**

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**.**

Blair was going to kill him. No—murder him. She had always played the role of the boss's girlfriend without complaint: silently and dutifully linked to his arm at dinners, events, and during business trips she was otherwise ignored at. Now she needed him for _one_ night, and he still managed to weasel his way out of it.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes, too irate to look at him. "Chuck, this is an important night for me. I _need_ you to be my date. It's not some stupid dance—it's Columbia's Homecoming." He opened his mouth to say what she could assume would be a smarmy comment, but she jumped in before him. "Okay,_ yes_, homecoming _is_ a stupid dance. But I must make an appearance!"

He rolled the glass of scotch in his hand—nevermind that it was nearly ten in the morning— and the ice clinked as it hit the sides. The sound sent a shiver down her spine. "My schedule is booked solid for the next month. Tonight is one of the only nights where I have a few hours to myself." She gritted her teeth at his excuse. He drawled, "Why don't you just skip this ridiculous dance and come back to my penthouse and let me—"

"_Don't_ even say it," she interrupted icily. "I can't believe you won't do this one thing for me. After all I do for you."

"Don't give me that Blair," he growled, standing from his seat to pour himself more scotch. "I'm not changing my mind; I'm not going." And as if she wasn't mad enough, he added, "I don't want to go." He sounded like a petulant child.

"You don't _want_ to go?" she repeated, an unmistakable edge to her tone. "Are you aware of how many of your events _I_ didn't want to go to?"

"Please," he shrugged. "Whenever there's a party, you're the first one there." He paused, catching his mistake. "Oh, I'm sorry, _fashionably late,_" Chuck mocked, enraging her further.

She stared at him for another moment, eyes boring into his. He idly took another sip of scotch, as if they weren't in the middle of an argument, and she felt tears flood her eyes. She turned and slammed the door behind her before he could see them fall.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"I'm telling you S, Chuck is _thisclose_ to being single again," she said, shutting the car door behind her. After her argument with Chuck, she was in mighty need of a drink. Unfortunately, it was just after ten in the morning, and although she could have told herself that it was five o'clock somewhere, she fought the urge. She decided on coffee instead, which is how she ended up ascending the front steps of Café Lalo, a few blocks from Columbia.

She smiled at the man holding the door open for her and, once inside the coffee shop, stepped into the short line. "S, I swear to god, he just sat there sipping his scotch complaining about _one_ event that I've asked him to go to. I wouldn't be _as _furious with him if he had a last-minute business trip or meeting. But he literally said, 'I don't want to go.'"

"Ugh, I'm sorry, B. I would tell Nate to go with you but _I'm_ his date," Serena said, laughing. "Can you ask Carter to go?"

She groaned. "_Please_, I already thought of that. He can't go; he's away." She eyed the selection of muffins and fruit, but instantly craved the donut behind the glass case. Realizing she was next in line, Blair sighed. "Listen I have to go S, but I'll call you once I find a date—_if_ I find one. Okay, bye."

"You know, if you need a date, I'm free," a voice said, prompting Blair to look up at the man standing behind the counter. Just like with Chuck, the words _tall, dark, and handsome_ immediately sprung to mind. But this was...

_Oh my god._ This was Dan Humphrey.

Her eyes narrowed. "_Excuse me?_"

He chuckled. "I was kidding. What can I getcha?"

"Cappuccino, please," she said, eyes traveling from him back to the donut.

Watching her carefully, he smirked. "And the donut?" he asked, gesturing to the bakery case.

She was positively starving, but she had a very thin custom gown waiting for her at home. "I didn't order it, did I?" she bit out cruelly, inwardly wondering why she was forcing all her anger on _him_. She continued anyway, "Of course you would work part-time at a coffee shop."

Taking every insult with stride, he just smiled and rang her up. Blair wordlessly passed him her credit card and retrieved it. Taking her coffee mug from him, her fingers grazed his, and although her skin burned where they touched, he looked unaffected. "Next time, please mind your own business. That was a private call."

He held both hands up in apology, and without saying another word, she turned to find a table. She could feel his eyes glued to her back and she resisted the urge to turn around. Once seated at the corner table, she opened her phone to scroll through her contacts. At this point, she would take _anyone_ to this dance. Momentarily putting the task aside, she opened her laptop to finish writing a paper. Halfway through page four, she stopped typing. She could still hear _him_ talking.

_That's it!_ Blair thought as she scooted her chair back from the table. She walked swiftly over to the counter, where—thankfully—no one was in line. She didn't even look at him before she snapped.

"_Excuse me_, but some people are actually trying to work here. Maybe if you lowered your voice to the volume of a normal person, I'd actually get some homework done."

It was only after she'd finished shouting did she notice what he was doing. He was leaning against the counter casually, with—Blair swallowed—a book in is hand.

By himself.

Silently.

He simply held up the novel. "I was just reading. Not talking."

Expertly covering her embarrassment, Blair's eyes narrowed. "So not only were you eavesdropping on my phone conversation, but now you're reading on the job. You should warn your manager that a complaint is coming his way."

Dan smirked. "I'm the manager," he said, pointing to the sign above him that read _Manager on Duty: Dan Humphrey._

Enraged, Blair pursed her lips, swiveled on her heels, and walked away.

**.**

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**.**

She couldn't believe it had come to this, but here she was, sitting on the middle of her bed with the phone clutched hesitantly to her ear.

Blair closed her eyes and spoke into the phone once he picked up. "I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for you to escort me...if your offer still stands."

"Huh? Offer?" came Dan's confused voice. "Who is this?"

"Humphrey, for God's sakes!"

"Blair?" The light bulb went off. "_Ohh._ My 'offer.'"

She could practically hear him grinning through the phone.

He continued. "So, you were saying, Blair...?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers and prayed for patience. Enunciating each word, she bit out, "Does your offer still stand?"

"Ask nicely Waldorf."

She sighed audibly and rushed out the words. "Daniel Humphrey, will you please be my date to Columbia's Homecoming Dance?"

"This is a date?"

Her jaw dropped. "No! I said you will be _my_ date. This isn't _a_ date. Now answer the question: yes or no?"

She knew he was still smiling, and for a brief moment, she wished she were seeing it in person. "I would be honored to, Blair."

Before she could get caught up in his voice, his kindness, his...charm, she bit out, "Pick me up at seven." And with that, she hung up.

She had another call to make.

**.**

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**.**

Dan held in a gasp as Blair descended the marble stairs. She looked positively regal from his point of view, but it wasn't until she was right in front of him did he fully admire her form.

She was in classic black—elegant, but sultry. Capped sleeves slid down into a deep V neckline, highlighting her collarbone and breasts. From there, the dress glided down her form and did everything to accentuate her svelte, but curvy figure, before pooling just slightly at her feet. The lacy fabric was subtly sexy and the clinging fabric left Dan wanting so much more than she was gifting him. His breath was halted yet again when she wordlessly took the peonies he had in his hands and turned around.

All he saw was her back and Dan's knees went weak. The large cut-out of the dress revealed an expanse of her smooth skin, and at the sight he reminded himself to take a breath.

Her makeup was perfectly done; a breath of blush, ruby red lips, and noir-lined eyes. The only other finishing detail came from the small diamond broach that held the bow around her waist together.

"You look stunning," Dan finally said, leaning in to kiss her cheek lightly.

She stepped back in surprise. The sincerity and honesty in his voice scared her. But it was exhilaratingly scary.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you." She eyed him over once more. "You clean up nice yourself, Humphrey. I see you received the suit I sent to Brooklyn."

He laughed. "Yes, I did. You really didn't need to go through the trouble Blair," he teased, knowing she absolutely _did._

"Well I couldn't have you showing up in a Men's Warehouse suit, now could I?" Her retort was so quick, he could've gotten whiplash. She smirked and reached up to toy with his tie. "The flowers are beautiful. How did you know I like peonies?"

"Lucky guess." His eyes dropped to hers and she became flustered yet again.

"Well, we better get going," she said, releasing his tie from her fingers.

"I thought we were going to be fashionably late?" he joked, draping her coat over her shoulders.

The comment brought her back to her morning conversation with Chuck, but she instantly willed it out of her mind. Looking at Dan, she rolled her eyes and smiled. "There is a difference between being fashionably late and _rude. _Now let's go." She unconsciously grabbed his hand and led him into the elevator.

She didn't realize it until the fifth floor, but her hand was already too used to it to let go.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"We broke up."

"Wait, what?" Serena asked, gripping Blair's arm lightly. They'd only been at the dance for fifteen minutes before Serena had whisked her away. She fired off a million questions about _what the hell_ she was doing here with Dan, but Blair was already having too much fun with him to really care about what her friend thought.

"When, Blair?"

"This afternoon," she shrugged nonchalantly. "This whole dance situation was the last straw."

"B...are you sure about this?" Serena asked warily. "It seems a little...impulsive."

After smoothly plucking a glass of champagne from a passing tray, Blair took a sip. "I don't want to talk about it anymore—it's done. I'm here to have fun tonight. Hopefully Humphrey will show me some." With a playful wink, she walked away from a gaping Serena to find her date.

At the sight of Dan, Blair's heart jumped. She had told Serena the truth: she was determined to have fun tonight. This whole day her views had gone a complete 180 when it came to her opinions of him. From his insult-barring attitude in the coffee shop, to how sweet he was when he picked her up, to the comfortable chatter they exchanged in the limo...Dan Humphrey had surprised her.

And he really did clean up nice. Under all that flannel and writer's scruff there was a devilishly handsome man. And tonight, he was all hers.

The champagne was obviously working its magic already, she thought as she strutted up to him and ordered, "Dance with me, Humphrey."

His lips gave a teasing smirk. "I thought you'd never ask."

**.**

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**.**

"Wanna get out of here?" Dan asked two hours later, slyly holding up a stolen bottle of champagne. They'd been dancing nonstop the entire night, save for a few moments to snack on something. But the band was starting to play bad nineties songs, their blonde confidants were MIA, and their feet hurt.

Blair worried her lip between her teeth. This was _her_ event, it's not like she could just leave.

Dan flashed his most convincing smile. "Live a little! It'll be fun!"

"Okay," she said quickly, gathering her dress train in her hands and taking the hand he offered.

She let him lead her out the hotel's front doors and through the city. They stopped every once in a while to sneak a sip of champagne, but they finally stopped a few blocks from the hotel.

At the bench next to the duck pond.

The wind picked up and Blair wordlessly held out a hand to ask for his jacket; he caught on and helped her into it. As he sat down on the bench, she dropped her clutch and curled her hands around the lamppost. Gently, she started swinging back and forth, but kept her eyes focused on Dan.

After a silent minute, he stood up from his spot on the bench and walked closer to her. She continued to swing back and forth, as if his nearing presence had no effect on her. In truth, it was the opposite; her heart raced, her palms began to sweat, and she gripped the post even tighter to avoid slipping.

"What changed your mind about me?" he asked curiously, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I mean...why today? Why now? Why are you so nice to me all of a sudden?"

The bluntness of the question stopped her movement. Catching her lip between her teeth, she thought for a moment. "Honestly...everything about today changed it all. I had always heard stories of people waking up one day and realizing they were with the wrong person...and that happened this morning. I woke up and realized that I couldn't remember the last time I was happy with Chuck."

"But I thought you were? Everybody did."

Shaking her head, she continued, "Most of it was just a show. No one wants to do business with a bachelor. I had to be on his arm. In all honestly...ever since I was ten I've been covering up my feelings about everything from my mother, Nate, Chuck, Serena...everyone! It wasn't until today that I actually felt something again. _You_ did that. You gave me back feeling."

"Blair...all I did was take you to a dance."

She smiled. "Yeah, but you also showed me what a "good guy" is. I've hardly ever been nice to you and yet you brought me flowers, you sucked it up and wore the tux I sent you, you opened the _door _for me, you danced with me, you snuck me out of an event that _I_ planned—an event so boring I was beginning to feel embarrassed—and took me _here._ To Central Park, right next to the ducks. Did you even know that this is my favorite place in the world?"

He grinned. "As much as I want to lie and continue to impress you by saying no...I _have_ seen the numerous Gossip Girl pictures from over the years. Kind of tipped me off that this is a regular favorite of yours."

"Ahh, I see. The truth comes out," she teased, wrapping her left hand around the lamppost to swing again.

He watched her move; with each swing, she swung closer and closer to him.

"Well, if we're on the subject of truth," Dan said, "I'll continue the honesty game." He locked eyes with her. "I really like you." At his words, she gave a nervous, bashful smile. "And I really want to kiss—" Swinging softly into his arms, she met his lips with hers.

It nearly stopped her heart—how utterly perfect the moment was—and she easily fell into the comfort of his kiss. "—you," he finished once he pulled away.

"Kiss me again," she ordered breathlessly, letting him wrap his arms around her to press their lips together once more. As he deepened the kiss, she hummed in contentment. After a few moments, she pulled away again.

"I just broke up with Chuck this morning," she said, talking to herself more than Dan.

"I know," he replied, tucking a curl behind her ear. He focused on her eyes. "The Upper East Side may not be ready for Dan Humphrey and Blair Waldorf to be together, but can you at least let me take you out on a second date?"

She scoffed, but her smile was still there. "_Second_ date? I thought we'd decided this was not a "date." You are my _date_ for the evening."

"_We_ didn't decide that—_you_ did," he laughed. "Please?"

Her lips twisted into a smile. "I suppose I could agree to that." She closed her eyes as he kissed her cheek in gratitude. "On two conditions."

"Name them."

"The date can't be in Brooklyn..."

He rolled his eyes.

"...or on the Upper East Side."

Smiling, he replied, "Deal."

And they sealed it with a kiss.

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end.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you liked it! How was it? :) I welcome all reviews!**


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